


Beasts and Monsters

by XantunsiaRiveresiana



Series: Xantunsia Riveresiana Chronicles [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Hunters & Hunting, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23628079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XantunsiaRiveresiana/pseuds/XantunsiaRiveresiana
Summary: Leader of the Riveresiana Clan, Xantunsia, teaches her clansmates a distinct difference between creatures.
Series: Xantunsia Riveresiana Chronicles [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700809





	Beasts and Monsters

"Stop." The leading Hunter said, waving their hand in front of her eager charge. "Leave that one to me V. You and Noir corral the rest of the pack into Gil and Ex's ambush."  
"Leader..." The Au Ra youth grumbled out, "you agreed I was ready to take Tigers on my own!"

Vigilis prided herself on being the most capable of her clansman in head to head combat, though she often forced into teams for the bigger hunts by her surprisingly cautious leader. After much insistence, it had finally been agreed upon that she could take point against Tigers, one of the more ferocious hunts in these lands. However, here at the last minute, Xantunsua seemed to have changed her mind. She looked at her disgruntled clanswoman blankly, but with a hint of confusion. After a few moments though, looking as if she just figured something out, she asked a question.  
"What do you notice about the pack leader V?"

Vigilis smiled smugly, she had been prepared for a test like this. She isolated her focus onto the obvious pack leader and began her exam.  
"It's clearly the big one leading the migration pattern. Fully grown, but young; Fur is still youthful. Build is pretty above average, which speaks to a natural strength, but no scars speaks to him not being battle forged for very long. And then there's the way he intimidates the others for not staying perfectly in formation, like a demand for respect, or a youthful arrogance! I'd bet he's a brash young upstart who just took over his pack and is looking to prove himself!"

Vigilis puffed out her chest with pride as she looked to her leader with a face that said "How was that?!"  
Her challenging expression was met with a gentle pat on the head.  
"Good, good, your observations have gotten much calmer..." The leader said with a warm smile, causing the bragging girl to look away in embarrassment.  
"Ordinarily, those would have served you just fine..." and suddenly, Xantunsia's expression shifted from gentle to completely serious, giving a start to the au ra girl. Her gaze shifted, thankfully, to the hunt in question. "This one is anything but ordinary. When was the last time we found a pack of Tigers?"  
As Vigilis was still staggered from the sudden expression change her leader just had, Extorris chimed in to answer "about 3 months ago..."  
Yes! Xantunsua excitedly told the quick-to-answer lalafell. Giving a congratulatory head pat to her as well. "Despite their hunting patterns showing that we should have found them at least 4 times in that time. A brash upstart with a controlling, threatening nature, a decreasing Tiger population, a hunting route change, and then there's that..."

Xantunsia saw her comment cause confused looks to appear on her lalafellin and au ra charges and gave a sympathetic smile.  
"Can they... not feel it?"  
The question was posed by the young miqo'te boy of the group, who had remained silent this whole time. The third miqo'te of the clan had also been quiet through these proceedings; with one look at her it was clear to see why. She was clasping her hands over her nose and mouth with an enduring expression. Though the boy had managed to speak up, he was not much better off; brandishing a look of fear and a cold sweat.  
Xantunsia put a reassuring hand on their shoulder, though it was all she could do to appear unaffected herself. "Breath slowly you two, and it's not their faults Gil, our bodies are more attuned to it."  
The two non-miqo'te clanswoman hadn't noticed their fellows reactions until now and were now filled with their own dread having noticed them.  
"I would have probably come to the same conclusions you did V, but one thing caught my attention, and then the dots started to connect.  
The smell.  
The pack leader is drenched in the smell of blood."  
With that revelation, the dots connected for the two who didn't smell it. The pack leader had been hunting other Tiger packs, killing their leaders, conquering them. And like Vigilis said, he wasn't scarred, so he was able to do this with little effort. Over and over again, never satisfied. Powerful and ruthless, and unquenchable, almost like...  
"...A Monster."  
As Xantunsia uttered those words, the dread of this hunt was spread evenly throughout the clan. After a few moments of stewing in that however, her expression softened, and she grouped her clan together by the shoulders. "Or almost. Doesn't seem like he's there quite yet. So it's a little dangerous, but best if we put him down now. That's why I'll take point this time! Let's get in position everyone!" She said, grinning ear to ear.  
Her clansmates' expressions softened as well as they saw her's, and with convicted nods, they moved into position.

\---

Power. I Want More.  
The mighty beast prowled. Breaking his concentration only for moments when he noticed his lessers step out of formation. When he noticed them disrespect him.  
"They aren't worth killing. Their deaths won't give me power. Yet they dare not follow my orders exactly?"  
Occasionally he wouldn't be able to help himself and he would kill from his own pack, saying it was a reprimand for their disrespect.  
"More. I need to find more. I Need To Kill More."  
As the beast's madness overtook his thoughts, he noticed some creatures approaching his pack. Two legged, 'hunters' from the looks of it. Small for their races though. Not fully grown likely  
"Again the weak disrespect me...!" Just as he was about to leave the fodder to his subjects, he noticed it. The one in the front.

The smell.  
Like his. No, even more so than him  
She is drenched in the smell of blood.  
"That one's death. I must have that one's death!!" The beast roars.  
The charging hunters split, but that one, she came straight for him. With another roar, he ordered his subjects to give chase to the separating hunter. This one. This one is his. The craving for another duel between a worthy beast, he could hold it off no longer.  
He charged.  
And as the beast king did, he realized.  
He miscalculated. He had believed this a duel between beasts, but with each approaching step, the smell given off by his opponent grew, and grew, until it threatened to envelop his senses completely. This was no duel of beasts. He was yet a beast, but what he faced was......  
...smiling.


End file.
